


Somebody You Found

by submergingcomets



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alice is a good mom, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cheryl is nice but still savage, Fluff, Give it up for Alice, Hal was the black hood and is in prison, Jason is still dead but it happened like 3 years ago, Kevin is the best gay best friend, Kinda, Minor Bullying, No Chic, No one in Riverdale knows, Possible smut, Prepare urself for teenage angst tho fr, Slow Burn, Student! Betty, Teacher! Jughead, Toni is meh because I find her v lacklustre sorry not sorry, V Minor Polly, Yes Betts and Juggie run the newspaper, all the feels, kinda PG13, very slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-05-23 14:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/submergingcomets/pseuds/submergingcomets
Summary: Betty Cooper moves to a new town after the conviction of her father for a multitude of murders. Seeking a fresh start, Alice moves herself and Betty to the quaint town of Riverdale. Where Betty finally feels safe to be herself and let her hair down. But things start to go awry when she's started falling for someone she knows she shouldn't.orBetty falls in love with her teacher and vice versa.





	1. teaser #1

Terrified of being late on her first day at a new school, Betty, and her nervous and excited mother, made sure she was up with more than enough time to find her homeroom and locate any of her other classes just to be safe. Her mother, Alice, cooked a ridiculously large breakfast that Betty knew she made out of habit, there used to be more mouths to feed. Betty settled for a glass of orange juice, an apple, a fried egg, and a slice of whole grain toast. Usually her mother would think this is still too large a breakfast, but considering what they’d been through, Alice had lightened up immensely on her policies for her daughter. 

Betty wasn’t sure what to wear to her new school. New school. New town. No friends. She didn’t want to wear anything that reminded her of her past archetypal “Girl-Next-Door” ways, but at the same time, it was her style. Trying to find middle ground between who she was and who she is, she settles for a midi cut white jean skirt and a yellow camisole with a denim jacket and blue flats. Her make-up she left the same, minimal mascara and lip gloss. This would do, at least for now. 

Alice insisted on driving Betty to her new school for her first day, so once she had brushed her teeth and secured her hair into a half bun with curls and headed downstairs to get in the car. Gone were the days of ponytails. Gone were the days of perfection. 

She’d wandered the entire high school three times to be exact. Growing more crowded and congested by the second. She couldn’t help but wonder when (or if) her personal welcome committee, promised to her by the school’s principal, would show. She felt a light tap on her shoulder and internally thought “speak of the devil.” As she turned around the boy in front of her cheerfully asked “Are you Betty Cooper?” 

A simple nod was all she could manage, taken aback by how friendly this stranger came across. 

“Hi! My name is Kevin, Kevin Keller. I’m the town Sheriff’s son, and your Riverdale High tour guide. You’re gorgeous by the way, I’m living for this denim skirt!” 

“Oh, so nice to meet you. Sorry, new school, very overwhelming. Thank you for showing me around.” She smiled back at him.

“Here, I can help you find your locker, its right next to mine, and we also have the majority of our classes together. But honestly, where did you get this skirt?” He played with her hair as they walked off, giving her many more compliments that made her feel warm and welcome. 

Betty giggled, thankful that she made a new friend already, and thought her day might not be so bad. They walked off together to her locker, which took her several tries to open before it swung and slammed into the other lockers making a huge bang. Embarrassed, Betty hid her face as Kevin beamed at anyone who looked to see who caused such a noise. Betty was very grateful for his presence. 

Once in homeroom, Kevin instructed her to wait at her locker come lunch time as he had some people she’d want to meet, and a lot of gossip to fill her in on. Betty focused in on her class schedule. They had much better classes offered here than at her old school. Which is ironic considering she was from a much bigger city. She chalked it up to having a better school budget. Riverdale High seemed very important to the community, and heard that the school received a lot of funding from wealthy families in the area who wanted the best for their kids. 

She was looking forward to her last class of the day… Creative writing.


	2. teaser #2

He set his alarm for 5:30 am knowing full well he would hit snooze until 6:30 rolled around. A mixture of terror and delight rolled around in his abdomen, tying knots that would prevent him from being able to stomach a full breakfast. He was only 21 and hired by a group of rich snooty parents to teach at his old high school, Riverdale High. He’d graduated at 16, and hadn’t completed his teaching degree, which he wasn’t even sure he wanted to, but somehow landed this job. It wasn’t like he was teaching a core course, he literally pulled the entire semester’s curriculum out of his ass. He had no expectations to meet. His one purpose was to provide a buffer class that looked good on the transcripts of the seniors. He sighed hoping there would be at least one kid who would take this class seriously. But even if they didn’t, he’d still be able to make enough to publish his first novel.

Jughead was always drawn to stories that were complex, and required a lot of thought. He just hoped he could re-create such a novel without coming off as pretentious or a copycat. That’s why he decided to take on writing about a tragedy of the town: the murder of Jason Blossom, who was killed by his own father. He had a general idea of how the story would progress, but wanted more information about those who were close to him. Which is another perk of this job. Jason’s younger twin sister, Cheryl, attended Riverdale High. He didn’t need to interrogate or interview her, the poor girl had been through enough, but rather gain a sense of her personality to make the novel feel even more authentic. 

Finally pulling himself from his thoughts, Jughead pushed himself out of bed and got into the shower. He was given an advance to be able to afford, for lack of a better term, more appropriate clothes. He didn’t feel like himself. Being back in Riverdale, the only thing that felt comfortable was his Serpents jacket. A necessary sacrifice he decided, as he stepped out of the shower and began toweling off. 

Looking over his newly purchased clothes, he couldn’t help but think he’d looked like a hipster douche. Sighing, he grabbed a pair of black slacks, a denim button down, a bowtie, and completed the look with brown dress shoes. And in the mirror looking back at him? A total. Hipster. Douche. 

Checking his watch, 6:45, he gauged he would be able to force down a decent breakfast (whether he could keep it down was another story) and leave by 7:30 to get to the school before 8:00. He wasn’t even allowed to take his motorcycle, so he had to settle for his piece of shit Grand Am from the stone ages as his ride. He shrugged to himself thinking “It’s not like I have anyone I need to impress.” 

While he ate his breakfast he thought about how he would address his class today. He only had one to teach, out of the whole day, but at least that left time to work on his novel. 

He set his dishes in the sink, brushed his teeth, started his hot new ride, and headed to the school. Internally kicking himself for thinking so small minded and not planning ahead, he decided he’d have to put off the writing for now. He only had until 2:00pm to decide what the heck he was going to teach, in his Creative Writing class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another teaser! Someone wanted more and I guess I want to see if anyone likes it enough for me to continue :) Thanks for the feedback!


	3. Chapter 1

Betty was shocked at how fast the morning went by, though she supposed she had Kevin to thank for that. She met him at her locker, as instructed. She started to feel a little uneasy as the hallways grew uncomfortably thick with people. She stood on her tiptoes, craning her neck into the hallway to see if she might be able to spot Kevin and wriggle through the chaos to him. She didn’t even know which direction she was to be looking in for him. She grew increasingly anxious and decided to get some fresh air and just text Kevin her location once she got outside. Just as she started down the hall to where she knew there was an exit, her phone buzzed in with a text from Kevin. 

Be right there. Got carried away admiring the dumb jocks ;) 

She turned around to head back to her locker, but instead collided with something. Hard. She fell to the ground, and when she had a chance to look at what she ran into, realized it wasn’t a something, but a someone. A hot someone. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I… err… didn’t see you there. I’m new and I’m waiting for someone and-” She rambled as she reached out to help the crouched stranger in collecting his belonging she so elegantly knocked out of his hands. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he looked right into her eyes and smiled “I can never get used to this hallway, even after all these years.” He finished with a slight laugh. 

God did he have beautiful eyes. She felt herself blush for ogling at a complete stranger, and reminded herself to be polite. Though it was hard to think of manners when she was completely transfixed by the dancing of light and dark brown in his iris, with a ring of gold around his pupil. She was lost in thought before his voice snapped her back to reality. 

“Thanks for helping me pick up my stuff, though.” He added as he held his hand out to her to help her up. She hadn’t even realized he had gotten up. She was so embarrassed. Graciously accepting his offer, she slid her hand into his and felt as though she had disintegrated. Can merely holding someone’s hand electrify every nerve ending in your body? She hadn’t thought so until now. Her eyes connected with his again and he offered her a half smile. She blushed again realizing she must be acting really weird, and in front of a new classmate already. 

“I’m Jughead, it’s nice to meet you…” He trailed off waiting for her to complete his sentence. 

“Oh, my name is-” 

“Betty! There you are.” Kevin smiled and slung his arm over her shoulder. “Sorry I’m late, but I do have a lot of people waiting for us.” He looked at Betty’s eyes, which still hadn’t been torn away from the eyes of the raven haired hottie she was talking to. Worried he was interrupting he removed his arm and shifted his body weight away from her slightly. He wouldn’t want to impose on his acquaintance getting more… acquainted. 

“Sorry to interrupt you guys!” He smiled at Jughead. “I’m Kevin Keller, you are?” 

“Jughead Jones. I actually have to get going. Nice to meet you both.” He continued on down the hall. 

Kevin put both his hands on Betty’s shoulders and met her eyes excitedly. 

“Okay… who was that!” He squealed. 

\------------------------------

Kevin wouldn’t give up on trying to get Betty to spill all about the hunk she bumped into in the hallway. No matter what she did to throw him off track, he’d always come right back to it. He probably got that from his dad, she wondered. She told him she would fill him in more later, but wanted to eat and meet some of his friends. 

When they got outside, Kevin directed her to some bleachers out across the field. 

“We always eat here when it’s nice out.” Kevin explained. 

It was a very nice day. There was a slight breeze and trees surrounding the bleachers’ sides so there was enough shade to block out the direct sun. 

“Ta-da! Everyone, this is Betty. Betty, this is everyone! Didn’t I tell you she was totally gorgeous?” Kevin sat down next to a red haired girl with red lips to match. She soon rose to her feet and grabbed Betty and pulled her into a hug. 

“Hi, I’m Cheryl. Resident mean girl gone good, sorta. Nice to meet you, Betty.” She offered a genuine smile and sat back down. Next to her was a girl with pink hair in two pig tails. “This,” Cheryl continued “is my bae, Toni.” Something about Cheryl seemed so familiar to Betty. 

“Hi, Betty. Welcome to Riverdale.” Toni said. She didn’t sound mean, but not too nice either. Betty didn’t mind. She didn’t want everyone fawning over her and trying too hard. She appreciated how authentic everyone was being. 

“No introduction for little ol’ me?” A raven haired vixen chimed in from behind Betty, faking a pout. She had a red-headed Adonis in tow. “I’m Veronica. Ronnie for short. This is Archie, my fabulously talented boyfriend.” She giggled. 

“Hi, uh, very nice to meet you…” He trailed off as he wasn’t present for Kevin’s big introduction. 

“Her name is Betty! I already said this a thousand times!” Veronica playfully swatted his shoulder, laughing. They both sat down on the bleachers and waved Betty over to sit too. 

Betty felt so awkward but honored that all these people were doing their best to make her feel welcome. She grabbed a seat in between Veronica and Toni and began unpacking her lunch. 

“So B, I’m going to call you B I hope you don’t mind, how are you enjoying your first day at the spectacle that is Riverdale High?” Veronica asked.

“It’s pretty good so far. A lot better than I expected. You’ve all been really nice for letting me join you for today.” Betty replied.

“And every day. You’re more than welcome to sit with us. If you weren’t cool enough to hang, Kevin wouldn’t have brought you around.” Veronica placed her hand on Betty’s shoulder and smiled meaningfully, at the same time Kevin made eye contact and winked at Betty. 

They spent the rest of lunch joking and asking Betty a bunch of questions. Even Toni was laughing and seemingly enjoying Betty’s added presence. She had never felt at home so fast in her life. 

And just when she started feeling safe. Her past crept up on her like a dark cloud and settled over her mind. Try as she might she couldn’t shake it. In her class after lunch, which included Cheryl, she started feeling the panic rise up in her throat and couldn’t hold back anymore. She raised her hand and asked to be excused. She eventually found the nearest bathroom and tried to focus on breathing. She splashed water in her face and tried talking herself down. The bathroom door opened and in came Cheryl. 

“Hey, you don’t look so good. Everything okay?” 

As Betty was about to answer, Cheryl cut her off.

“Don’t answer that. I know it’s not okay. It’s hard to start over.” She placed her hand on Betty’s back and rubbed it slowly. “I can tell already you and I have so much in common. Almost… connected in a way.” 

“Yeah.” Betty said, grateful for an understanding presence. “Thank you, for being so nice to me. I really appreciate it.” Betty smiled at her. 

“No worries.” Cheryl beamed back. “Alright, let’s get to class before our ghoul of a teacher has a conniption.” 

Betty laughed. She really enjoyed Cheryl’s ferocity, but knew she was just as sweet and compassionate as she was feisty. She was a little embarrassed about her breakdown, but trusted that Cheryl wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it. 

\-------------------------------

The bell rang loudly, which meant a short break before it was finally time for Creative Writing. She didn’t know if any of her lunch-mates would be enrolled in this class. So far, though, she had first period English with Kevin and Archie. She wondered why Kevin didn’t introduce him before lunch, but thought maybe Veronica wanted to do the honors. Second period, Chemistry, with Toni and Veronica (who didn’t want to overwhelm Betty so waited to introduce themselves until lunch.) Veronica vowed at lunch that she would be the best lab partner Betty would ever have, as Toni was going to pair up with a boy named Sweet Pea. Third period, Math with Kevin and Veronica. Fourth, History with Cheryl. Then fifth period. Who knows? She didn’t really care. She was just excited to have a structured class where she could explore her passion for the writing. 

She ran into Kevin at the lockers again as she was exchanging books. 

“So… Any sight of that hottie from earlier?” He teased. 

“No,” Betty laughed “I have yet to see him.” 

“Well, what class do you have next? Home Economics or something? You won’t catch a hunk like that in there. I bet he’s like a welder or something hot like that.” 

“Oh my god, shut up. I’m not in Home Ec., I’m taking Creative Writing. I can probably bake better than the teacher in that class anyways. I’m a world class pastry chef.” She taunted. 

“Well then, I expect some homemade goodies sometime soon. Preferably now, but I can wait until next week I suppose.” He fake pouted. “Anyways, I hear that Creative Writing class is going to be a gong show. The rich parents teamed up to hire some alum from the school or something who doesn’t even have a complete degree. They just have the course here to make some snooty kids look good to Universities. Sorry, babe.” 

“Never mind that.” She playfully shooed him with her hands “I’m going to enjoy it no matter what! I’ll see you after class?” She asked walking away already.

“You better believe it!” Kevin shouted as he went the other direction. 

The final class bell rang just as Betty sat in her seat. She pulled out her notebook as the teacher walked in and began writing his name on the board. 

Mr. Jones

She examined the figure whilst he was still turned back facing to her, and came to an awful conclusion as he started speaking. “Alright, everyone. I’m Mr. Jones, and welcome to…” he turned around and made eye contact with Betty as he finished the sentence that confirmed Betty was doomed.

“Creative Writing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so a slightly longer chapter for you guys. Still not sure if I will continue the story. But please let me know what we're thinking. Also, I am a huge fan of a Betty and Cheryl friendship. I think Cheryl's character is so powerful and her and Betty would actually be better friends than V&B in real life. I'm not a huge fan of V, but I'm going to have the "core four" be more like Betty, Cheryl, Kevin, and Veronica. Hope you're all okay with that!


	4. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty waits for Alice. Then they go out for dinner.

A wave of shame washed over Betty. All day she had been lusting after her new teacher with reckless abandon. Kevin was going to have a field day. Though, how could it be her fault? How was she to know he was a teacher here? His wardrobe certainly was indicative of one, but his nature of speaking made her think he was a student. He seemed so casual and fun-loving. Nothing at all like an authoritative figure. Betty chalked it up to him being so young, and wondered if the information Kevin had was true. Was he even qualified to teach? She felt herself blush as she tried to pull herself from her thoughts and focus on the intro lesson. 

“So, today I thought we would do a typical piece of what you did over summer break, and what we’re looking forward to this year! Most of you will be graduating, so, uh, it’s good to think about where you want to be a year from now.” Jughead explained. He sounded so comfortable and nervous at once. What a paradox. “Please take out a piece of paper and pen, or, uh, if you don’t have supplies, as it is the first day, come on up and grab some.” 

Some students shuffled slowly to the front of the room, but Betty pulled out her new notebook and pencil case from her brand new backpack. Nothing overly pink and frilly and “girl-next-door-ish” like she was used to. Nothing to pull her into a past she doesn’t want to think about. Like her life, she was now brand new. Reinvented. 

She flipped to the first page and scrawled her name and date into the top right corner. She wondered for a minute what to write about. What had happened to her over the summer? Should she write about the aftermath of her father’s conviction? How she had reporters on her lawn every morning? Her friends she grew up with continually distancing themselves until they had disappeared? How her and her mother were made to be such outcasts they moved towns? Considered changing their names? It was so embarrassing. Time kept ticking by and her classmates around her hurriedly scribbled the details of their summertime expeditions and adventures. She had nothing she wanted to share. Nothing she wanted these people to know. She was alright with exploring other topics, but none pertaining to herself. She eyed the time again. Only 5 minutes left. She felt her eyes well up with tears, but was determined to not cry, again. 

The bell rang and Betty was the first to hand in her paper and bolt out of the door. She was careful to make no eye contact with Jughead, though she had to remember to refer to him as only Mr. Jones from now on. 

Kevin was waiting for her once more at her locker, Cheryl as well. 

“How’s my newbie?” Kevin beamed. “Find your mystery man?” 

“Nope, definitely not. You’re probably right about him being a welder or something like that.” Betty replied, eager to be rid of the topic.

“So, Betty, typically after school the gang all goes to this wonderful little diner called Pop’s. Wanna tag along?” Cheryl put her arm around Betty’s shoulder as if to give her a side hug.   
“I think maybe not tonight. I’m feeling quite burnt out. Raincheck?” She smiled back at her two new friends. 

“Absolutely! But I’m going to hold you to that, Cooper.” Kevin said. “I’ll go ahead and add you to the group chat. Thank God you’re not one of those Android people. I will never understand that.” 

After they all said their goodbyes Betty walked out to the parking lot to wait for her mother. She did tell her to come pick her up at 4:30 so she had time to talk to her teachers (if need be). Though it seemed she was running late. She reached into her backpack and pulled out some headphones to listen to some music, and sat down on the edge of the curb. She sent a text to her mom asking how long she would be and chose a playlist. 

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder and let out a small screech and jumped to her feet. As she turned around, alarmed, she immediately recognized the stranger as her new teacher, Mr. Jones. She paused her music, and took the headphones from her ears.

“I’m sorry, Betty, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He smiled apologetically. 

“No problem, Jug- er… Mr. Jones. I’m just waiting for my mom.” 

“It’s already 5 o’clock, do you know when she will be here?” He inquired.

“Should be soon. She’s technically only half an hour late. She was supposed to be here at 4:30 so I would have time to meet all of my teachers one on one.” 

“Well, then why did you run out of class so fast? You didn’t stay to have any one on one time with me.” 

“Oh, I… uh… I had to meet a friend. He’d been showing me around all day and didn’t want him to have to wait long.” She explained. “Besides, I had already bumped into you in the hall I didn’t want to chance another unfortunate encounter.” 

“No need to explain, Betty, I am only teasing. Though I suppose I can’t leave a young girl waiting out her alone. How about we have that one on one time now?” He smiled at her. “I’ll wait with you until your mother arrives”

“You don’t need to do that, Mr. Jones. I’m sure I will be perfectly fine here with my playlists.” 

“I know I don’t need to, but I’m new to this teaching thing. I think it would be nice to learn more about one of my students. If that’s alright with you.” 

“Sure, I guess.” Betty could feel she was in danger. Not because Mr. Jones was creepy, but because he was so inviting. She felt safe immediately whenever he was near. Though he was so young you could tell his eyes had seen things that he shouldn’t have. She could tell by his unwavering politeness that he knew pain. Of course, she knows she could be imagining all of this, and using this nice teacher as a mirror. 

“So, you’re new to Riverdale, how do you like it so far?” Jughead asked. 

“How do you know I’m new?” Betty was immediately alarmed. He was a teacher. He could see her file. He could know why she’s here.

“Uh, your friend who was showing you around? Also I’ve lived in Riverdale almost all of my life. I know the families here. So when I come across an unfamiliar face, it’s a pretty easy assumption that they’re new.” Jughead laughed. 

“Oh, right.” She laughed nervously. 

Just then, a small tan Fiat pulled into the lot and honked. Her mother.

“Well, that’s my ride. Thank you for waiting with me Mr. Jones.” Betty nodded her head and scurried off to the car, not even waiting for a response. How awkward. She had to learn how to calm down. 

 

“I’m so sorry I was late, Elizabeth. I-” Alice began to explain.

“Mom, it’s okay. Please don’t worry about it.” Betty pat her mom’s arm gently. 

“Well, I had a job interview. At the newspaper here. It’s called ‘The Register.’ It’s a really good opportunity for us.” She smiled to Betty.

“That’s really good news mom, but aren’t you worried about working at a newspaper? I mean, reporters are the reason we left home.” 

“I know that, but I love writing. I can’t just turn my back on it because of a few crazy reporters. That’s why you’re still writing, isn’t it?” 

Betty had thought about giving up on writing. When her dad was arrested she had never felt more attacked, and vowed that she never wanted to paint anyone a monster unless they truly were. She felt her entire family were being treated like the criminal her father is. Ultimately, she had drawn the same conclusion as her mother. Why give up something you love because of a few shitty people? 

“Anyways, dear, I wasn’t able to prepare anything for dinner, so we’re going to go out tonight. Anywhere you want to go? Not too noisy, I want to hear about your day!” 

“Some kids told me about a place called Pop’s. I don’t know where it is, but I can google it.” Betty offered.

“I know where it is Betty. You should too. Honestly, when we used to come visit your grandmother, may she rest in peace, you’d go over there all the time with a couple of neighborhood kids. Don’t you remember?” 

“No, I guess I don’t.” 

She racked her brain to try and recall any memory of Riverdale, but can’t think of a single thing. She knew she came to visit her grandmother a few times when she was younger, but she doesn’t remember having friends. She hardly even remembers her grandmother. 

As they pulled into the parking lot, Betty immediately regretted suggesting Pop’s. She forgot Kevin, Cheryl, and everyone were going to be there and didn’t want to appear as though she had blown them off. She hoped they would understand, but just in case she took out her phone and texted to the group. 

Hey, turns out my mom is taking me out to dinner at Pop’s, see some of you there?

No immediate responses and a very eager mother prompted Betty to put her phone back in her pocket and accompany her mother into the restaurant. 

Once they had sat down, Betty scanned the room and didn’t recognize anyone from school. Perhaps they had left already. The diner was old, but kept in good condition. There were a bunch of retro neon lights, and red booths. Betty felt as though she had been transported back to the 50s, only chicer. 

The pair glanced at their menus, and gave their orders to their waiter, who seemed very uninterested in his job and almost came off as rude. 

“So,” Alice leaned across the table and grabbed her daughters’ hands and looked at the palms “what have you been up to today?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long to update! I was on vacation. Any suggestions for the group chat name? I couldn't think of anything clever. 
> 
> Group members are: Archie, Betty, Cheryl, Kevin, Toni, Veronica.


	5. Chapter 3

Jughead was happy to see the blonde he’d bumped into in the hall in his class. Albeit, slightly embarrassed because he forgot he was a teacher for a moment, and introduced himself like he was simply another classmate. She had such beautiful green eyes, he felt like he was falling into them. Her smile seemed to hypnotize him just as drastically too. He shouldn’t have used his first name, now he felt like he should apologize to her, but how? Perhaps he should just continue on as it never happened. He could tell she was shocked by the expression on her face as he explained he was her new teacher. He felt sad that he might have caused her any humiliation on her first day. 

As the other students were busy documenting the details of their summer vacation, he couldn’t help but notice Betty lost in thought. Her pen hadn’t touched the paper at all. He decided not to pry. He knew she was new to the school. It wasn’t necessarily his business to know any details of his students’ lives. He just wanted to gauge their writing abilities and style. Perhaps he should have presented a different topic. He knew he hated recounting his summer to his previous high school English teacher, who still worked here, every September. Hopefully she didn’t resent him for choosing something so cliché. 

When the bell rang she scribbled something quickly, hurriedly handed her paper in, and scurried out the door. As the stack thickened he tried not to immediately dig through the pile of papers to find what she had written. He decided he should make more of an effort to speak with his students rather than ignore them on the first day. He pushed the thought of Betty from his mind and started reading over the papers before him. 

 

When he had finished going through about half of the stack, he decided he ought to go home and grab some dinner before continuing. 

After locking up his office and heading out into the parking lot, he noticed Betty sitting on the curb and humming. He checked his watch. 4:57 pm. What was she still doing here? School let out at quarter after 3. Noticing she had headphones in and trying not to startle her, he tapped her shoulder, and she jolted to her feet while letting out a little scream.

“I’m sorry, Betty, I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“No problem, Jug- er… Mr. Jones. I’m just waiting for my mom.” She almost called him Jughead. He felt himself smile. 

“It’s already 5 o’clock, do you know when she will be here?” He felt as though he should offer her a ride, but didn’t want to be inappropriate. He was new to this whole teacher thing. 

“Should be soon. She’s technically only half an hour late. She was supposed to be here at 4:30 so I would have time to meet all of my teachers one on one.” Betty explained. 

“Well, then why did you run out of class so fast? You didn’t stay to have any one on one time with me.” He wanted to smack himself. He wasn’t coming across as a teacher at all. 

“Oh, I… uh… I had to meet a friend. He’d been showing me around all day and didn’t want him to have to wait long. Besides, I had already bumped into you in the hall I didn’t want to chance another unfortunate encounter.” Friend? Must have been the Keller boy who had interrupted them earlier in the hallway. He knew the Sheriff’s son would take good care of her and he was immediately grateful Betty had someone as genuine as Kevin.

“No need to explain, Betty, I am only teasing. Though I suppose I can’t leave a young girl waiting out here alone. How about we have that one on one time now? I’ll wait with you until your mother arrives” He hated himself for how he was acting. He didn’t know how to act around students. He was one himself. Jughead needed to get into the mindset of a teacher. Perhaps he should spend some more time in the teacher’s lounge. 

“You don’t need to do that, Mr. Jones. I’m sure I will be perfectly fine here with my playlists.” He wondered what she could be listening to. She seemed so real. Her green eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and optimism that he recognized in himself. She was like a mirror. He saw pieces of himself in her. He reasoned that must be the reason he felt so immediately drawn to her, and   
decided he needed to pay attention to this girl. 

“I know I don’t need to, but I’m new to this teaching thing. I think it would be nice to learn more about one of my students. If that’s alright with you.” 

“Sure, I guess.” Betty shrugged back at him. He wondered if he should offer her a ride, but chose not to cross anymore student teacher lines that day. 

“So, you’re new to Riverdale, how do you like it so far?” He asked. 

“How do you know I’m new?” He could see how stunned she was in his face. Obviously he had access to her file, but he didn’t feel the need to read any of his students’ files. 

“Uh, your friend who was showing you around? Also I’ve lived in Riverdale almost all of my life. I know the families here. So when I come across an unfamiliar face, it’s a pretty easy assumption that they’re new.” He laughed, hoping she felt as though she could trust him. 

“Oh, right.” She looked visibly relieved. 

A car pulled up that caught Betty’s attention. 

“Well, that’s my ride. Thank you for waiting with me Mr. Jones.” Betty nodded and headed for the car. 

Jughead gave a wave that he wasn’t sure she had seen. He smiled to himself and walked over to his car. Eager to get home, change, and grab a bite to eat after a long day. He was daydreaming of a burger the entire afternoon. And fries. And a milkshake. And maybe another burger or two.

Once he pulled up to his house he realized how much he missed riding his bike. This stupid car would be the death of him. He went inside and set his attaché case on the table and changed out   
of his ‘hipster douche’ clothes and back into his ‘I am a struggling writer minus the fact that I’m in a gang’ attire. He didn’t think he should chance running into any faculty, students, or his new benefactors in his Serpents jacket. So instead, he chose his black faux ripped skinny jeans, a white tank, a blue and black flannel, donned his suspenders, pulled on his black converse, and topped it off with his signature beanie. Without a second thought he hopped on his bike and set off towards his favorite burger joint. 

Betty pulled her hands away from her mom, embarrassed at how she would check her palms for evidence of self-harm in such a public place. Even before her father was arrested and her entire life blew up, Betty had always felt as though she was teetering on the verge of a huge breakdown. She couldn’t cope with the pressure from her mother to be so perfect all the time. Betty desperately sought out other options for coping with her feelings, but turned to self-harm. She began experiencing outbursts that she couldn’t control, and it only worsened after her father’s arrest. Her mother eventually convinced Betty to tell her everything once Betty’s locker was decorated with the words ‘Murderous Slut’ in pig’s blood. The school had apparently recorder various   
other incidents that Betty had begged them not to report to her mother, but the pig’s blood was the final straw. 

“Mom!” Betty gasped as she pushed her hands, palms facing down, into her lap. 

“I’m sorry, Betty, I didn’t mean to do that. I just worry about you. I promise, I won’t do that again. Please just talk to me about things. I need you to be okay.” Alice looked down apologetically. 

“You’re my daughter. I need to protect you.” 

Betty let out a long sigh. “It’s okay, mom. Please just ask first. I’m not hiding anything from you. It’s just hard to talk about. Trust that I will come to you if I’m feeling… like I used to.” 

“Alright. I trust you, dear.” Alice smiled ruefully. “Now, tell me about your day. Start to finish, don’t leave anything out.” 

Betty filled her mom in about (almost) everything about her day. Leaving out a certain bumpy encounter with her new teacher.

 

Jughead pulled into Pop’s parking lot and turned off the engine of his bike. As he scanned his surroundings his eyes settled on the brown Fiat that Betty’s mother was driving. He wondered what her parents were like. Maybe their family was out for dinner in their new town. He felt a little envious that he seldom had experiences like that of his own. All he could do is write himself into stories where he had a perfect family, but it was so unfamiliar he hated reading over his work and sent most of it to a physical or virtual trash can. 

As he walked into the diner he gave a nod and smile to Pop behind the counter and seated himself in his regular booth. His eyes searched for Betty and her family, and saw Betty and her mother sitting on the opposite side of the diner. He almost wanted to get up and introduce himself to her mother and welcome them to Riverdale, but decided not to impose. He also wasn’t looking very teacher-y at the moment, and didn’t want to make a bad impression. Pop brought over his regular order, two double cheese-burgers with a large fries and chocolate shake. It wasn’t long before he had cleared his plate. He settled his tab at the front, and noticed Betty and her mother again. He hovered at the bar stools near the cash register, observing them.  
Betty and her mother seemed deep in conversation, both occasionally picking up a fry or taking a sip of their shakes. They shared a lot of similarities. Same blonde curled hair. Green eyes, though Betty’s were a lighter shade that almost looked blue under the neon lights. He wondered what else they had in common, apart from the physical alikeness. He wasn’t sure what traits he had of his mothers. He hadn’t seen her since he was 6 years old. She had tried to reach out to him when he turned 17 and his father was incarcerated for several months, but Jughead wasn’t willing to rebuild the bridge she had burnt all those years ago. 

“Well, I’m just saying sweetie, you should be looking into extra-curricular activities! You are so vastly talented. You should see about a school newspaper. You know I was an editor of my high-school newspaper when I was your age.” Betty’s mom said.

“I don’t know mom, it’s senior year. I don’t want to overwhelm myself like I used to. I just want to enjoy myself.” Betty groaned. 

Overwhelm herself? Jughead knew he shouldn’t be listening, but was intrigued by the notion of his young student having a passion for writing. He could have assumed that from the fact she was in his class, but a lot of the other students were taking it just to fluff their college applications. 

“I’m not saying join all the clubs and activities you used to, but maybe just one or two responsibilities. It would also be a good opportunity to meet people with similar interests! You could make so many friends.” Her mother debated. 

“Fine, mom, I’ll look into it. But, I am not joining cheerleading again. Maybe. Why don’t I just get a part-time job? Then I could help you with the bills. We wouldn’t have to rely on the money from the settlement any more than we need to.” 

“Hush now, Betty. I will take care of us. That settlement money is only going to be used from now on to get you on your feet for college. Speaking of which, where are you thinking about applying?” She changed the subject.

Settlement? Jughead kicked himself for continuing to listen in. He decided he ought to walk away before he heard anything else he shouldn’t. He turned to walk out of the diner, but heard a soft,   
angelic voice call out to him quietly.

“Mr. Jones?” Betty looked confused. 

“Oh, hey, Betty. How’s your evening going?” 

“Fine, thanks.” She eyed him up and down, visibly stunned. “What are you-”

“Thanks Pop! Okay, Betty, let’s head home.” Betty’s mom turned from the cashier’s desk and found her daughter speaking to a stranger. “I’m sorry, you are?” 

“Mr. Jones. Betty’s creative writing teacher.” He extended his hand and offered a sincere smile. “A pleasure to meet you Mrs.?”

“Ms.” She corrected. “Ms. Cooper. Alice. Nice to meet you too. You certainly don’t look like a teacher. How old are you?” 

“Mom!” Betty flushed. 

Jughead laughed. “No, it’s okay, it’s going to be a common reaction as I meet more parents. I’m 21, and no, I don’t have a completed degree. But I was hired by the school to offer a different kind of course to the students. Some of the parents thought we were lacking literary diversity.” 

“I see… Well does that mean you’re part of the school newspaper? My daughter, Betty, is a wonderful writer. She gets it from me. She would be a great asset to the team.” Alice gushed. “She’s always in the top of her classes, and has a lot of talents.” 

“We don’t have a newspaper at Riverdale High currently, but if Betty and a couple other students are interested, I’d be more than happy to meet with the principal to discuss with him.” 

“Wonderful, how does that sound, Betty?” Alice beamed at her daughter. 

“Oh, uh, great. Thanks, Mr. Jones.” Betty looked embarrassed again. Her face was growing quite red, and her eyes were now fixated on the floor.

“Not a problem. Meet me after class tomorrow and we can look into it.” Jughead suddenly remembered he still has yet to read the rest of the class papers. “I better be going, though, I still have a lot of papers to read through! Have a good night you two. Nice meeting you, Ms. Cooper. See you tomorrow Betty!” 

“Goodnight, Mr. Jones.” They said in unison and Betty blushed again. 

Jughead pushed the door open and walked over to his bike. Feeling a little self-conscious he tried to be as quiet as he could as he started up the engine and departed towards home. The first thing he did when he got inside was open his attaché case and look for Betty’s paper.

Only 3 words were written on the entire page, apart from her name and date. Jughead felt his heart clench as he read and re-read them. They echoed in his mind. He knew then that he would have to do everything he could to help empower Betty. If all he can do is help her write, he was going to make sure she had as many possible creative outlets as she could.


	6. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty avoids Mr. Jones, until she can't anymore.

For the rest of the week, Betty continually avoided Mr. Jones. Since running into him with her mother at the diner, she felt even more embarrassed for her assignment submission on the first day of class. She didn’t mean to write something so pathetic, but she didn’t want to fabricate a lie. Though, it was a creative writing class. Was there any harm in embellishing? She couldn’t help but want her work to be from an authentic source, no matter how unimportant it was. 

She was hardly able to escape Mr. Jones. He seemed to be everywhere. When she saw him in his casual wear she just about died. He had seemed infinitely more comfortable, but still felt this outfit wasn’t showing his true self. Not completely. But those suspenders… one singular raven lock dangling from his beanie onto his forehead… accompanied by his beautiful blue eyes. She almost felt like she was treading water in the middle of the ocean while a hurricane was brewing, but she had never felt more comfortable or safe. It was like she was drowning in chaos and bliss all at once. Why did he have to be so attractive? 

He almost cornered her on Friday after class, she barely made it out of the room before he called out her name. She opted to pretend she didn’t hear it and continue on her way to her locker. As she was packing up her back pack for the weekend and Kevin was gossiping about some hot jock struggling with his sexuality. Her head snapped up when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

“Ahem.” Betty turned around to find Mr. Jones standing in front of her. 

“Oh. H-hi Mr. Jones.” Betty stammered.

“Betty,” Jughead nodded at her. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for some time now.” 

Betty glanced at Kevin, knowing he recognized Jughead from their encounter earlier that week. She knew he wouldn’t let her live this down. Groaning internally, she shifted her focus back to her teacher. 

“Really?” She played dumb. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t noticed. I’ve been such a scatterbrain with everything since I moved here.” She bit her lip as her cheeks grew red and glanced to the floor. She knew that he knew she was lying. Could he blame her though? He didn’t know how utterly embarrassing it was to be so transfixed by someone you’re absolutely, without a doubt, not supposed to be captivated by. 

“Uh huh.” Jughead raised an eyebrow at her and lifted his chin. “Well, Monday after school, I need you to stay late with me so we can go over getting the Blue & Gold back together. I used to be the editor of it when I was a senior here. They haven’t had anyone interested since, so I’m glad we finally have someone to reprise my old title.” He beamed. 

Kevin stifled a snicker, noticing how uncomfortable and embarrassed Betty was. Why did he have to be standing there? 

“Okay, I’ll leave you to your weekend. See you on Monday!” Jughead began walking away. He stopped and turned back around to add “Oh and Betty? Bring some friends.” Then he turned once more and continued until he disappeared from sight.

“Oh... My… God” Kevin started.

“Don’t!” Betty groaned again. “Please, don’t start, Kev.” She started walking away from him, but he kept up easily. 

“Oh my God! Betty!” Kevin couldn’t help but laugh. 

“I know. I’m screwed.” She let out a huff of air angrily. “I can’t do this newspaper! My mom is practically forcing him to start it up, and for what? I don’t even want to do it.” Betty thought back to her broken dreams of journalism. She had always wanted to be some kind of reporter, or investigator. She wanted to find the truth and share it with everyone she could through written word. Only, since being the one investigated instead of investigating, her dream felt shattered. How could she turn to something that ruined her life? 

“Aww… come on, Betty! It won’t be that bad. The whole gang can join in. I promise I won’t say anything about your run in with the hot new teacher when we thought he was just a hot new student. Though, I probably should have recognized Jughead. Hard to though, without his Serpents jacket.” Kevin mused. 

“Serpents jacket? What the hell is that?” Betty looked confused. They walked out the front doors of the school and into the parking lot. 

“I am just now realizing how much I need to tell you. I’d say you could come sleep over at mine tonight but my dad is on night duty so I’m not allowed…” Kevin trailed off hoping Betty would chime in and offer him solace at her house. He pleaded with his eyes and pouted when Betty took longer than he had hoped to answer.

“Fine!” Betty laughed as she caved in. “Don’t puppy dog eye me again. My mom’s been wondering when I’d bring a friend over anyways.” Betty said as she pulled out her phone and sent her mom a text.

Kevin’s coming for a sleepover tonight, ok? 

She watched her phone as Kevin gushed about all the things he couldn’t wait to tell her as they walked to her car. Betty typically gave him rides home now that she was using her car again. She saw the three dots appear and realized she hadn’t told her mom that Kevin was gay, and was about to add that detail when she got a message back. 

Great! As long as it’s just friends, Elizabeth ;) I’ll start dinner! 

She giggled to herself and decided she’d just let her mom come to the conclusion on her own. 

“Alright, Kev. I hope you’re ready for a line of questioning from my mother. It’s been a while since I’ve brought anyone over.” 

Kevin called the aux cord and Betty was more than willing to oblige. Her playlists weren’t really the kind for a typical teenager to kick a weekend off to, but was excited at the opportunity to have a more normal adolescent experience. 

Feeling hopeful and carefree for the first time in a long time, Betty turned up the volume as Kevin scream-sang and pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards her house.

 

After exiting the hallway, Jughead realized how sweaty his palms were. Talking to her made him so paradoxically nervous. Usually, the teachers intimidated the students and not the other way around. Her eyes were so inquisitive and sincere. He wished he could stare into them forever. It was like he was lying in a springtime meadow with all this life around him while it poured rain. So beautiful and sad all at once. He wiped his hands off on his blazer, thankful there was no one else in the hall. 

He walked himself back to his classroom, and began quickly packing his things for the weekend. He had to meet his dad and some old friends at the bar on the South side, the Whyte Wyrm. Jughead would have to hurry home to change, he would never hear the end of it if he faced his comrades in his work clothes. 

As he made his way out of the school into the parking lot, he noticed Betty and Kevin laughing as they walked out to what he assumed was Betty’s car. An old, pale yellow Beetle. It had a bit of rust, but he thought it fit her character perfectly. He smiled as he pulled out of the parking lot, again noticing Betty and Kevin, but this time they were singing and Betty had the most beautiful smile in the world on her face. He felt his heart envelope in warmth. She was pure sunshine. Radiant and whole-hearted. He wished he deserved someone half as wonderful. He wished he felt this about someone he wasn’t teaching. Could she blame him though? She was tantalizing in every sense of the word, and he’d had only 2 and a half conversations with her. He shook his head to bring him back to reality and out of a dream world. He wanted someone to slap him, and tell him he was an idiot for allowing himself to yearn for a girl he didn’t know a single thing about. He smiled to himself and knew he was doomed. He wanted to learn everything he could about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! We will be having an INTENSE gossip sesh next chapter. Lots of insight into both Betty and Jugheads lives! And maybe, just MAYBE, we'll see a little rebellious teenage spirit from our very own girl next door. Lord knows she deserves a night off.


	7. Chapter 5

After dinner Betty took Kevin up to her room. It was substantially bigger than her old room, and she didn’t have to share a bathroom with anyone anymore. Not since her sister Polly ran away. She shook her head and Polly from her thoughts. She was certain she would have to fill Kevin in soon anyhow. Her old room was pretty and pink and frilly and gaudy. She hated it since well before she had moved. Her mother used to think if she had a room that looked like it was for the perfect child, she would have the perfect child. Wishful thinking. 

Her new room had off-white walls with a grey stained hardwood floor that was largely covered by a dark purple shag rug. Her bedframe was white and wire-y with firefly lights strung through the headboard. Her bedsheets were a simple white, light and dark gray pattern with a dark purple throw and some pillows. Above her bed she had a framed photo of her childhood dog, Pancake. She had a window nook with a small shelving unit worked into the seat to hold her many books and journals. She also had a book shelf to hold the rest of the ones that wouldn’t fit by the window. A desk to do her school work and writing at, and a walk in closet that lead to an ensuite bathroom. About the room were more photos, a few small plants, and some more lights. 

“Damn, who designed this room? Martha freaking Stewart?” Kevin laughed as he threw himself onto her bed.

“My mom, actually. She’s always had a creative spirit. Writing, cooking, designing.” Betty chuckled back.

“Hmm.” Kevin hummed as he relaxed further. “She really is a great cook. Much better than my dad. And me. All I can make is the frozen dinners he buys and Kraft Dinner.” 

“My mom taught me how to cook. I’m almost better at baking than she is, but her pies edge me out every time.” She admitted. She paused a moment before adding “aren’t we going to need to pick up anything from your place? I wish I had thought of that earlier.” 

“Oh yeah,” Kevin said “I guess we’ll have to go by my place then.” 

“Okay, I suppose we can go in a little bit, but I want to hear about these ‘Serpents’ first.” Betty stated as she raised a brow at her friend. 

“Prepare yourself, Cooper. Here is the history of Jughead Jones and the Southside Serpents.” Kevin started. 

What Kevin knew was a combination of stories from his dad, Archie, and a few stories spread around school. He explained that Jughead was an extremely intelligent yet antisocial kid for most of his life, and still is to his core. Jughead was somewhat close with Archie once too because their dads were best friends from their high school days. That was until Jughead’s dad, FP got too involved with the Southside Serpents. He ended up going to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, but took the fall rather than snitching on his fellow Serpents. The Serpents had always had a bad reputation around Riverdale, largely to the drug and crime accusations. The Riverdale Register had attributed to that through many articles and headlines, and still does to this day. Jughead always resented the Serpents because his dad wasn’t around much due to his involvement in the gang. When FP was arrested, Fred Andrews, Archie’s dad, took him in for a while. Though Jughead was eventually placed with a foster family on the South side and transferred schools. He then somehow became a literal ‘King’ of the Serpents and carried on where FP left off, until he was let out of prison. Then, Jughead went off to university and came back each summer. But was approached by Hiram, Veronica’s father, who paid both Jughead and the school to offer a new course for the students. 

“Wow.” Betty sat, eyes wide. Jughead, a gang leader? She felt her body shiver. She was suddenly so intimidated by him. What had he done? What had he seen? Part of her wanted to steer clear, but the rest of her yearned to hear his story from him. Though, she knew she never would. “Wait a sec… Veronica isn’t even in his class.” Betty stated blankly. 

“Oh, she’s in it next semester. She wanted to have her last class of the day with Archie this semester.” Kevin replied matter-of-fact-ly. 

“Right.” Betty blushed. What a dumb statement. 

Just then, Kevin and Betty’s phone chimed. A text from Cheryl into their group chat. 

Kev. Betty. Meet Toni and I here @ 10. Wear something bad ;) 

She sent a location pin to follow. 

“Uh…” Betty started. “What is she talking about?” Betty glanced at the time, it was already 9. 

“Uh oh.” Kevin laughed “Every once in a while, Cheryl and Toni host a girls’ night, gays included, at the Whyte Wyrm.” 

“The what?” Betty stared at him.

“It’s a bar. On the South side. Lots of Serpents. Maybe your man will be there.” Kevin’s voice was laced with delight as he winked at her. 

“A bar? Kev are you insane?” Betty’s eyes widened as she looked to the door in panic and lowered her voice. 

“Come on Betty, you don’t have to drink. Besides, the Serpents are near as bad as you’d think. At least, not since Jughead joined. They’re still as fierce, but none really get involved in crime.” Kevin laughed. “Also, Toni and Cheryl are both Serpents. They’re just not allowed to wear their jackets at school, Weatherbee would have their heads.”   
“Toni and Cheryl are Serpents?!” Betty whispered. “Like the head cheerleader of Riverdale High moonlights as a gang member?” 

“The very one. It’s a really long story, and frankly, not mine to tell. Cheryl will open up to you about it, I’m sure.” Kevin smiled.

“Kev, this place is not at all what it seemed. Under aged kids affiliated with gangs, throwing parties in bars? What else goes on here?” 

“Betty, I’m sure you of all people can understand that people and places have pasts they wish they could rid themselves of. It’s part of Riverdale’s story, and hopefully history won’t repeat itself.” Kevin glanced out the window, which led her to believe Kevin understood more about her situation than he had let on. She hoped she could be the one to tell him everything, but didn’t know how. 

She words echoed in her mind, but they couldn’t escape her lips. My dad’s a murderer. 

“So, anyways, are we going or are we going? We don’t have to go long, and we can pick up my stuff from my place on the way.” Kevin placed his hands under his chin to frame his face and batted his eyes at her. 

“Ugh.” Betty rolled her eyes slightly at the notion of going out to a bar of all places. “I really don’t want to take advantage of my mom’s trust and lie to her, Kev. We used to have a totally different relationship and she’s really trying.” Betty’s forehead creased as she pleaded with her friend. 

“Sigh, Betty, if it weren’t for those beautiful eyes of yours I would have dragged you into that bar myself. But, we still have to go get my stuff from my place. Would you mind if we did a quick drive by at the bar? I have an old friend I want to quickly say hi to, if he’s around.” Kevin asked.

“If he’s around? Why can’t you just text him?” Betty looked confused. 

“He doesn’t have a phone… He’s kinda off the grid.” Kevin blushed. He was that kind of friend. Was he also a member of the Serpents? Betty thought he might have to be to be off the grid. 

“I expect a full report when we get back.” Betty rose to her feet and waltzed over to her closet. She felt no embarrassment changing in front of Kevin, so she changed out of her skirt and sweater into a pair of ripped jeans with a retro styled Metallica t-shirt and pulled on her black converse. She freed her hair from her half-bun she’d been rocking all day, and let the wavy mess cascade around her face. If she was going to be outside a bar she would at least look a little like she belonged there. 

“Damn.” Kevin whistled at her. “You really are hot, Betty. I’m going to have my work cut out for me navigating you through the pool of douchebags that roam the halls of Riverdale High.” 

“Shut up.” She laughed at him and grabbed her keys. “Alright, let’s go raise an appropriate amount of hell.”


	8. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Betty listens to in this chapter is "Somebody Else" by The 1975. Listen to it when reading if you want ;)

It started raining as soon as Betty parked her car in front of Kevin’s house. Not pouring, just a slight drizzle, but enough to make Betty worry about her hair vs. the humidity. The street lights reflected so nicely off of the pavement here, there were almost no cracks or bumps in any of the roads. She thought Riverdale had to be one of the most beautiful towns she’d ever been in. 

“5 minutes.” Kevin promised as he dashed to his door and let himself in. 

What a nice house, Betty. Everyone in Riverdale seemed to have a classic American home with a big porch and white picket fence. She wondered what the South side must look like. She hadn’t actually ventured over the bridge that separated the two, and really had no reason to. There wasn’t much on the South end of town according to Kevin. Still, she felt excited to cruise through it and see for herself. 

“Hey, doll. Been waiting long?” Kevin joked as he leaned on her car. 

“Shut up.” Betty laughed. “Let’s go its almost 10. I don’t want to keep your ‘friend’ waiting.” Betty winked. 

Kevin directed her the rest of the way to the bar. After they crossed the bridge Betty realized that Kevin wasn’t exaggerating when he said there wasn’t much on the South side. She noticed a few different apartments or trailer parks, a couple of old shoddy convenience stores, liquor stores, and dive bars. 

Betty gasped when she saw the South sides drive in. 

“Oh my god, Kev! A drive in?” Betty exclaimed. “We have to go!” 

“Uh, sorry, Betty. They don’t show movies there anymore. There wasn’t enough money so the property went bankrupt and now it’s up for sale.” Kevin explained.

“What?” Betty whined. The best thing this town had to offer, closed? She quickly forgot about the drive in as Kevin continued to give her directions and Betty obliged. 

When she pulled up to the bar Kevin said was the Whyte Wyrm, Betty felt uneasy. She really shouldn’t be taking advantage of her mother’s trust. As she was about to dive into her thoughts completely, Kevin reminded her to come in and get him if he took more than 15 minutes. She nodded back at him and turned her playlist up and attempted to relax. She already knew Kevin would take longer than 15 minutes, and her curfew was midnight, so they had time. The rain stopped completely and Betty willed herself to focus again on the lights reflecting off the pavement. To get a better look she unrolled her window and rested her head on her arm and hummed along to her songs. 

She began to relax even more as one of her favorite songs started playing. As if on cue, Jughead emerged from the bars entrance just as the song’s beat picked up.  
“Betty?” Jughead half-shouted. Was he drunk? 

“Oh, hi Mr. Jones. I’m just uh, waiting for Kevin I swear.” Betty’s face grew red immediately like she was about to be scolded for being outside such a place. Of course her teacher would probably say something to her mom and she would be grounded for a lifetime. 

“Betty, it’s okay. I’m not really in a place to judge you for being here. Inside or out. Though I will remind you, you aren’t actually in the bar or doing anything illegal.” Jughead laughed heartily. His cheeks were red and his eyes seemed alive. 

“Oh, right.” Betty laughed timidly. Her eyes scanned his figure. Black ripped jeans, white t-shirt, and that leather jacket… Betty felt herself bite her lip and at the same broke eye contact and felt her embarrassment grow. 

God. Why does he have to be so hot all the time? She blushed and raised her eyes back to the man in front of her. 

“Are you going to come inside?” Jughead smiled. 

“Oh, sure, okay.” Betty turned her car off and grabbed her purse. She quickly brushed her out of her face and smiled and Jughead. She knew she shouldn’t be going inside and definitely not because of this stupid crush she couldn’t rid herself of. As long as she didn’t drink it would be fine though, right? 

 

Did he really just invite a minor into his old gang bar? And not just any minor, his own student? Smooth move, Jones. When he saw her sitting there, the cool night air keeping her face flushed and one of his favorite songs emanating from her car, he couldn’t help himself. And when she got out of the car? He had to bite his lip to refrain from sighing wantonly. He admitted, he was tipsy, but he still can’t throw away his integrity and potential career. God. Why does she have to look so beautiful all the time? He pictured her in a Serpent jacket as they went inside. 

“Cheryl and Toni are already here.” Jughead explained. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He added as she walked off towards her friends and nodded at him. 

“Who is that?” Sweet Peas eyes widened as he checked out the young blonde from his seat at the bar. 

“Calm down, Sweet Pea.” Jughead glared at him. “She’s a minor.” 

“Yeah, but there’s a little thing I’d like to remind you of…” He trailed off as he rose from his chair to go talk to her. “It’s called the age of consent.” 

“Sweet Pea I’m serious, don’t.” Jughead demanded, but he was already gone. “Shit.” He said to himself. 

He realized he had no right to try and control Betty. He had gotten into much worse when he was her age. Hell, he still isn’t an outstanding citizen, but he wanted better for her for some reason. He thought it must be because he felt sorry for her. That they shared a similar experience and he didn’t want her to feel lonely, but it wasn’t his place. So he sat back and watch his friend effortlessly chat up his student. He knew Sweet Pea never failed to pick up a girl. 

Sweet Pea suddenly came back to his seat beside Jughead and cursed to himself.

“Whoa, what happened?” Jughead laughed.

“I don’t know, man. This girl must be some stuck up breed of crazy or something.” 

“Watch it.” Jughead warned. 

“Seriously dude. No girl has said no to this. There’s something wrong with this girl.” Sweet Pea spat out. 

“Or something right.” Toni chimed in from behind them laughing. 

“Toni, vouch for me. I’m a good guy. Tell that little blonde over there. You’re classmates right?” He pleaded. 

“Definitely not.” She continued laughing. “What did she say to you anyways?” 

Jughead caught Betty’s gaze and smiled at her. He felt relieved she had rebuffed Sweet Pea’s advances. 

“She said the tall, buff, cocky guy isn’t her type.” He scoffed as Toni almost choked on the shot she was taking and burst into another fit of laughter. Jughead remembered how much fun they all had growing up, and how laidback Toni gets when she drinks. 

Jughead smiled back at Betty and stifled a laugh. Boy, was he in trouble. 

 

Soon enough, Kevin returned from whatever dark corner he had been in and slid his arm over Betty’s shoulder, interrupting her and Cheryl’s conversation. 

“Alright, Betty, we can go home now.” Kevin announced. 

“Oh, okay.” Betty half frowned. She was having a good time. Part of her wanted to stay and get drunk and rowdy like the rest of the crowd, but knew she should go home before her inner rebel got the best of her. Besides, who would drive her home? 

Cheryl whined, but Toni soon distracted her from the fact that Betty was leaving.

“Text me when you get home, Cheryl.” Betty added after they exchanged goodbyes. They made their way out to her car when Kevin realized he forgot his phone inside. 

“I’ll be right back, I swear.” He ran back inside and Betty wondered if he would only be a moment or quite a few. She didn’t really care. It was only quarter after 11 and not a long drive home. She still felt guilty about not telling her mom where she was, but decided since she didn’t do anything illegal she shouldn’t be so hard on herself. She leaned up against the hood of her car as she waited, pulling out her phone to tell her mom she’d be home shortly. 

“Leaving so soon?” His voice called out from behind her. She turned to face him and was even more transfixed than the last time she laid eyes on him that night. Gosh, was she in trouble. 

“Yeah, I have a curfew.” Betty explained. His eyes electrifying and lighting every last one of her nerves on fire. 

“Did you have fun?” He asked. She knew he had been drinking and that he wasn’t ever going to speak with her again like this, so she decided to take advantage of the moment. 

“I did, actually. Before I moved here, I never would have come to a place like this.” She admitted. 

“A place like this?” Jughead raised his brow. 

“I don’t mean it like that. I just mean, I wouldn’t have come to a bar. Not that there’s anything wrong with the Serpents or anything.” Betty stammered.

“So you know about the Serpents?” Jughead asked, his voice laced with disappointment. 

“I do. I think they sound cool.” Betty said to try and make him feel better about her knowing things from his past he hadn’t shared with her. 

“Cool.” He scoffed. Betty assumed she must have made him uncomfortable and quickly changed the subject. 

“I’ll do the newspaper.” She blurted out. 

“You will?” Jughead’s mouth grew into a smile. 

“I will. I’ve always wanted to be a writer.” She confessed. Jughead’s eyes lit up as she said the word writer and she wondered if that’s what he wanted to be too. 

“That’s great, Betty, I’m so happy you’re going to help me get the paper started up again.” He beamed at her. “I’ll see you Monday after class. Drive safe.” 

“Okay, goodnight, Mr. Jones.” She nodded just as Kevin came out of the bar. 

“Oh, and Betty? Let’s not bring this night up again. It’s embarrassing being inebriated in front of your students.” He added before disappearing into the Whyte Wyrm again. 

“Ooh.” Kevin laughed at her.

“Stop!” Betty flushed and got into her car. “I’m taking you down with me, I hope you know.” 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. The plot thickens.” Kevin teased.

They laughed as Betty pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. Monday was inevitably coming, and Betty could feel herself growing more anxious by the second. 

 

When Betty was out of sight, Jughead thought of the assignment she handed in again. The words echoing in his mind relentlessly. What did she do all summer? 

Try to forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest recorded Bughead convo to date! hope you guys enjoy. We will be picking up on Monday after school in the next chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Name of Fic from the Japanese House song (v good if you like bands like the 1975, v beautiful music IMO)


End file.
